From the Desk of A.J. - Restaurants.com

Food…um…where do I begin?

Let’s just say….for the sake of time…I am a Foodie with a pinch of Wino…or maybe it’s the other way around. Either way…I love food and wine. I’ve spoken about my love for wine…but my love for food…yep…us two…we go way back.

I distinctly remember tasting Sushi for the first time (thanks Pops!). I distinctly remember cracking open a clam that I had just dug out from the sand…plopping (yes… slimy raw clams plop) it into a Styrofoam(it was the 70’s…back off) cup squeezing a TON of lemon juice on it and a little salt…man was I a happy girl. And I do mean girl. I was maybe all of 7…8?

I have had the palate of a 30 something year old my entire life. I scarfed down any and every seafood, meat, any food of every different ethnic origin available to me from a very early age. I would try any and everything. There is a story…that is now one of The Hubster’s favorite stories of my childhood. My parents and my sister and I were taking this beautiful drive through the country somewhere…my sister always wanted to bring home any living animal we ever saw. One year it was sheep(which she would’ve named Dimitri)…any dog…of course any cat…and on this particular drive…a cow. My sister states “oh…look at those cute cows, I want to take one home”. My statement (as told over and over to this day by my mom) “Mmmmm…tip.” Yes…as in Tri-Tip. See…I am a Foodie. Sorry Veg-heads.

Over the years I have wondered why I love food so much. I’m sure there is some deep dark secret down in my inner being…but for lack of a therapist and/or Oprah I’m just going to say I love food because it tastes good:) I not only love to eat it…I love to scope out the best ingredients…play around with a recipe…and prep it while pretending to be on Iron Chef SoCal. As I watch Top Chef…I constantly think “I have no culinary schooling under my belt whatsoever…but I think I could be on that show”. And I’m serious when I think those things…I even have a cooking show in my head…with the theme song. OK…now you think I’m crazy…but crazy knows crazy so there.

Back to my reality. Bottom line. I am a Foodie/Wino who married a Foodie/Wino and is related to Foodie/Winos and has friends who are Foodie/Winos. Now that we are all married with children and bills…our culinary date nights are becoming less and less. But I have found something that will make me and everyone I know…sooooo happy.

Restaurant.com. This amazing and genius site is a site that restaurants sign up to participate in “pre-purchased” gift certificates so to speak. Super simple. You type in your zip code (actually they cater to a ton of cities…so if your traveling on vacay and want to check out some great local restaurants…what a great way to do that) and the site will give you a list of restaurants that you can purchase your GC’s from. From the tiniest little holes in the walls to some lovely 4 and 5 star joints. Basically…there are different levels you can buy…but most of them start like this: Buy $25 bucks worth of food for $10. They are pre-selling your meal…for a heck of a lot cheaper!

What a FANTASTIC way to get new peeps in their restaurants right? And what a great way for a Foodie who is trying to save a little here and there because she has traded her and her Husband’s nights going out for bringing up a well adjusted, compassionate, little person who will one day grow into a well adjusted, compassionate big person who will give back to his society so this world is a better place. What a great thing for said Foodie…right?

So…go out for those date nights with the hubbies and wives or treat yourself to a G.N.O. with your favorite cronies…just…don’t forget the “Mmmmm…tip”.(Sorry…I couldn’t resist).

*picture above of one of the restaurants we found on Restaurants.com, the Bahia in Tustin which has the yummiest seafood and the most relaxing outside eating area around!